NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Do you think Frank Ntilikina would be a good fit for the Warriors?
The Warriors would be a great fit for Frank for two reasons; they have superstar players and are one of the few teams in the NBA that runs an offense that is similar to the Triangle.
Golden State also likes smart players with long wingspans that can switch on defense. Frank checks all these boxes.
The other reason Golden State might take a hard look at Frank is that their head coach Steve Kerr has a good relationship with Phil Jackson. Remember, Jackson offered him the head coaching job in New York before Golden State swooped in with a better opportunity.
In Golden State, Frank could finally play his game on offense, as they rely more on cutting, screening, and passing from all 5 players to generate open shots.
They also have one of the best scorers in the game in Steph Curry and will be getting Klay Thompson back this season. So Frank won’t need to stress making shots to stay on the court.
As for making shots, Frank has shown he can do that. In limited opportunities, Frank shot 47.9% from 3 for the Knicks in the 2020-21 season.
Now imagine how well he could do with the number of open looks he would get by playing with Steph & Klay.
What also needs to be considered is that being around great players, especially great shooters helps some young players improve by osmosis. They pick up tips, develop good habits, and witness excellence firsthand.
The last reason the Warriors would be interested in Frank is that they are an older team and need some young legs.
Their best defenders: Klay, Draymond, and Iguodala are in their 30s.
Aside from Andrew Wiggins, their other young players can’t be counted on to provide great defense.
They will need as many young wings as possible to help slow down all the great guards in the West. The more energy Curry can dedicate to offense the better.
Now, on to another team that might be interested in Frank, New Orleans…
excited about all the new faces</a> that will be joining <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/">the NY Knicks</a>, I am a little saddened as this will likely be my last <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/ntilila01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Frank Ntilikina</a> article.</p>
<p>The run of the ‘French Prince’ appears to have come to an end.</p>
<p>Frank has been one of the most polarizing players in Knicks’ history. You can tell who is a member of the ‘Frank hive’ based on how they feel about defense.</p>
<p>The fans that value it, love Frank. The fans that prioritize offense want nothing to do with him.</p>
<p>But what has been the most frustrating thing about Frank’s 4 years with the club is that he never was truly given an opportunity to play his game.</p>
<p>Frank was drafted by Phil Jackson to be the point guard of his triangle offense.</p>
<p>When Jackson was fired right after the draft, Steve Mills, who was promoted to President of Basketball Operations decided to change course.</p>
<p>Even though Mills was part of the brain trust that drafted Frank. The internal politics set Frank up to fail, as he was no longer anyone’s “guy”.</p>
<h2>Where do you think Frank Ntilikina will call home next season?</h2>
<p>Instead of cutting their losses and trading Frank as a rookie, they kept him around and tried to change his game.</p>
<p>Kristaps Porzingis, the other Phil Jackson lottery pick wanted to run a motion offense with elements of the triangle with Frank as the point guard. But Mills and Perry preferred to go with a more ISO-centric offense which was more appealing to American NBA stars.</p>
<p>The last chance for Frank was when Coach Thibodeau was hired.</p>
<p>I thought for sure he would fall in love with Frank because of his defense and basketball I.Q. But Thibodeau preferred Elfrid Payton, a big guard with a better handle that could get to the paint.</p>
<p>While Frank was dealt a bad hand, he also bears responsibility for what happened. Since the moment Frank stepped on the court at Madison Square Garden he was an aggressive bulldog on defense.</p>
<p>He would challenge some of the best players in the game like when he famously locked down Kyrie Irving.</p>
<p>In the 2019-20 season Frank earned the rep as the ‘Luka Stopper’ because of the way he neutralized Luka Doncic in the 2 regular-season games against the Dallas Mavericks.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Because we’re Knicks fans and our team picked 3rd one draft too late, we mix our afternoon coffee with Frank Ntilikina defensive highlights vs Luka Doncic 🏀 🎬 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://t.co/unaHAz5CZw">pic.twitter.com/unaHAz5CZw
<p>— JB (@JeffreyBellone) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://twitter.com/JeffreyBellone/status/1297956042291195904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 24, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>However, his personality on offense was the complete opposite. He was timid, refusing to just attack the rim when teams were cheating off him. It appeared that the European structured offensive approach was too ingrained in him.</p>
<p>Even though Frank’s career hasn’t gotten off the start he had hoped, his experience in New York and a change of scenery will make him a better player.</p>
<p>Let’s look at which teams would be ideal landing spots for the French Prince.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Frank in the Bay Area </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-120775 size-full" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2327,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1055814226.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina" width="3200" height="2327" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1055814226.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1055814226-768x558.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Do you think Frank Ntilikina would be a good fit for the Warriors?</h2>
<p>The Warriors would be a great fit for Frank for two reasons; they have superstar players and are one of the few teams in the NBA that runs an offense that is similar to the Triangle.</p>
<p>Golden State also likes smart players with long wingspans that can switch on defense. Frank checks all these boxes.</p>
<p>The other reason Golden State might take a hard look at Frank is that their head coach Steve Kerr has a good relationship with Phil Jackson. Remember, Jackson offered him the head coaching job in New York before Golden State swooped in with a better opportunity.</p>
<p>In Golden State, Frank could finally play his game on offense, as they rely more on cutting, screening, and passing from all 5 players to generate open shots.</p>
<p>They also have one of the best scorers in the game in Steph Curry and will be getting Klay Thompson back this season. So Frank won’t need to stress making shots to stay on the court.</p>
<p>As for making shots, Frank has shown he can do that. In limited opportunities, <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628373/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frank shot 47.9% from 3 for the Knick</a>s in the 2020-21 season.</p>
<p>Now imagine how well he could do with the number of open looks he would get by playing with Steph & Klay.</p>
<p>What also needs to be considered is that being around great players, especially great shooters helps some young players improve by osmosis. They pick up tips, develop good habits, and witness excellence firsthand.</p>
<p>The last reason the Warriors would be interested in Frank is that they are an older team and need some young legs.</p>
<p>Their best defenders: Klay, Draymond, and Iguodala are in their 30s.</p>
<p>Aside from Andrew Wiggins, their other young players can’t be counted on to provide great defense.</p>
<p>They will need as many young wings as possible to help slow down all the great guards in the West. The more energy Curry can dedicate to offense the better.</p>
<p>Now, on to another team that might be interested in Frank, New Orleans…</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Frank in the Big Easy </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-120776 size-full" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1145,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1198741487.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina" width="1600" height="1145" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1198741487.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1198741487-768x550.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Should the Pelicans take a flier on Frank Ntilikina?</h2>
<p>The Pelicans are in a precarious position as their offseason doesn’t look like it went well. Executive VP of Basketball Operations, David Griffin looks to be on the hot seat.</p>
<p>Zion Williamson is already not the happiest in New Orleans and has put the organization on notice.</p>
<p>Griffin thought he had a couple of years to develop the team but quickly learned last season that this wasn’t the case.</p>
<p>Now he begins his 3rd season in the Zion Williamson era with a 3rd new head coach. He also just traded a player Zion wanted the Pelicans to resign.</p>
<p>The two sign-and-trades that resulted in the Pelicans essentially swapping Lonzo Ball for Devonte’ Graham looks like a disaster.</p>
<p>They replaced their best perimeter defender with a horrible one that is an erratic outside shooter.</p>
<p>Graham’s contract looks like an overpay despite it being almost half of what Ball signed for with Chicago.</p>
<p>New Orleans can’t expect either of their other two young guards; Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis Jr. to turn into lockdown defenders.</p>
<p>So it would make sense for Griffin to bring in Frank on a minimum deal. He is a young veteran that is a proven defender they can plugin if the perimeter defense is atrocious.</p>
<p>Ironically, Frank could be used to help fill the void of fellow 2017 lottery pick Lonzo Ball.</p>
<p>Unlike Frank, Lonzo who also struggled mightily with his shot was given multiple opportunities with the Lakers and Pelicans. He was even taken off the ball and made a spot-up shooter, a role Frank could easily fill.</p>
<p>For Griffin, proving he could replace some of Ball’s production with a fellow lottery pick from the same draft would help ease tensions in New Orleans and most importantly help the team improve.</p>
<p>Now on to the next team that could be interested in Frank, the Toronto Raptors.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Frank goes to the North </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-120843" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2669,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F915966296.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina" width="3200" height="2669" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/915966296.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/915966296-768x641.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Should Toronto take a look at Frank Ntilikina?</h2>
<p>The Raptors might not seem like a logical landing spot for Frank as they are not a team with elite offensive players that are in need of defenders. But this could be a great value play for Toronto.</p>
<p>Teams that play in the same division tend to value each other’s players.</p>
<p>Also, Toronto’s Masai Ujiri tends to take a special interest in players of African descent. While Frank grew up in France, his family is from Rwanda.</p>
<p>There are two players on the Raptors: Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) and OG Anunoby (Nigeria) whose families are also from Africa.</p>
<p>Frank not only fits the culture of the Raptors, smart and tough-minded, he also fills a need.</p>
<p>The Raptors need to replace Kyle Lowry who went to Miami. Goran Dragic who was acquired in the Sign-and-Trade for Lowry is expected to be traded again.</p>
<p>The Raptors’ other ball handlers are smaller scoring guards; Fred VanVleet and Malachi Flynn.</p>
<p>They had a chance to draft Jalen Suggs but instead decided to go with Forward Scottie Barnes.</p>
<p>Their other guard, Gary Trent Jr. is not a great defender.</p>
<p>So it would make sense for them to bring in another ball-handler than can switch on to any player on defense.</p>
<p>Ntilikina would free up VanVleet and Flynn to play their games and would make an interesting small ball lineup if they slid Trent to Small Forward and Anunoby to Power Forward.</p>
<p>The last team on the list is also the last team Knick fans would want to see Frank go play for. That is right, our crosstown rival, the Brooklyn Nets.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Frank crosses the East River </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-120844" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1129,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1308949500.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina" width="1600" height="1129" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1308949500.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1308949500-768x542.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Would you want to see Frank Ntilikina in a Brooklyn Nets jersey?</h2>
<p>That’s right, the best team for Frank to go to would New York’s <em>other team</em>, the Knicks’ biggest rival and one of the favorites to win the championship next season.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>While I don’t think it would be Frank’s first choice since it’s the option that would afford him the least opportunity to play, it is the biggest stage.</p>
<p>Even though the Nets have the best collection of stars, (Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving) they also have a lot of good role players.</p>
<p>They have one of the best 3-point shooters in Joe Harris. A revitalized Blake Griffin, who is still very effective. They also just signed Patty Mills to pair with Bruce Brown, coming off the bench.</p>
<p>On the surface, it looks like Frank would be the 5th guard on the depth chart, but you also have to remember that the Nets’ stars are likely going to miss their fair share of games as they pace themselves through the long regular season.</p>
<p>Frank would get a chance to play extended minutes various times throughout the season. Also, he would serve as an insurance policy in the event that Bruce Brown gets hurt.</p>
<p>Brown, had a great season playing for the Nets, but it was a byproduct of playing with great players.</p>
<p>He <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/4065670/bruce-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot a career-high 55% from the field</a>, but it’s not because his game improved. It was just that he was given wide-open shots close to the basket.</p>
<p>If you look at his shooting percentage from 3, it was still pretty bad, only 28.8%.</p>
<p>Brown’s skill set and build are similar to Frank’s, except Frank is a better shooter. There is no reason Frank couldn’t step into Brown’s role and put up better numbers. That is the benefit of playing alongside truly great players.</p>
<p>As for Brooklyn, the idea of taking a young former Knick lottery pick that has a special place in the hearts of many New Yorkers is intriguing.</p>
<p>They did the same thing with Jeremy Lin, but those Net teams were not very good.</p>
<p>This Nets team is great and adding Ntilikina to the roster would only increase their appeal locally, especially if he is more successful in Brooklyn than he was in Manhattan.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Three Kevin Knox trades the Knicks should consider this offseason" data-url="https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/07/ny-knicks-3-kevin-knox-trades-to-consider/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/10/ny-knicks-finding-frank-ntilikina-new-home/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/08/07/ny-knicks-3-kevin-knox-trades-to-consider/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Three Kevin Knox trades the Knicks should consider this offseason </a> </div>
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